Improvement in scrubbing-brushes



PATENTE JUN271871 Nrrnn S'rAfrfEs As'rEN'r Frrcn.

PATRICK OBRIAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No.116,346, dated June 27,1871; antedated June 15, 1871.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK OBRIAN, of the city, county, and State ot' N ew York, have invented and made a certain new and usel'ul Iniprovement in Scrubbing-Brushes; and the fcllowing is hereby declared to be a correct description ot' the saine:

A scrubbing-brush has heretofore been made in which straight strips of rubber were placed edgewise between the rows of bristles and lengthwise of the brush, to give greater stiffness to the brush, and to form scrubbers, to aid the bristles to lnore effectually remove the dirt from the ioor or other surface being scrubbed. Brushes have also been made in which lthe scrubbers were composed wholly ot' rubber strips, said strips being secured ed gewise in suitable heads or clamps a-nd arranged in either straight or zigzag lines.

A brush in which rubber strips are employed, in connection with bristles, is preferable to one composed wholly oi' rubber strips; but when the rubber strips are arranged in straight lines, as aforesaid, they are liable to bend sidewise when pressure is applied to the brush, and hence the greater part ot' the wear comes upon the bristles, and the object ot' their use is defeated. My invent-ion, as distinguished from those above mentioned, consists in a scrubbing-brush in which a zigzag rubber strip is placed edgewise between the rows of bristles and running lengthwise of the brush, so as to form corrugations in said strip and give greater stiffness to the saine, and, consequently, lessen the tendency ofthe strip to-bend ov er when pressure is applied to the brush in scrubbing,

thus not only relieving the bristles, but scrubbing with greater efficiency, because the corrugated or zigzag strip has a scraping action when the brush is moved in any direction.

ln the drawing, Figure l-is an inverted plan of my improved brush, and F1022 is a cross-section 0i' the line .r x.

a represents the bristles of the brush, and these are to be arranged as most convenient, and introduced into the stock b in any usual or desired manner. c is the rubber strip, placed edgewise between the rows of bristles, and secured at its upper edge in a groove in the stock b; and said strip runs lengthwise and centrally ot' the stock b, in a wavy or zigzag line, as shown in Fig. l. The bends or corrugations given to the rubber strip stiiien the same and prevent its bending over as easily as if placed in a straight line, and the strip passing in and out among the rows of bristles presents a large extent of scrubbing edge, and at the same time supports the bunches of bristles contiguous to it, and hence causes the wear to be more evenly divided over the whole surface of the brush.

I claim as my invention- The scrubbing-brush made with a zigzag elastic strip passing lengthwise of the brush between the bristles, as and for the purposes set fort-h.

Signed by me this 7th day of December, A. D. 1870.

WVit-nesses:

CEAS. H. SMITH, GEO. T. PINGKNEY.

P. OBRIAN. 

